Scouting Forward: A Plan to Lead Announced

[CynicalScouter]

[dkurtenbach]

Link?

[skeptic]

Trying to review this, but cannot get a link for it, and the part shown does not fit screen properly.  Where is this from?

 

[BAJ]

This was a screen shot posted on another (non-official) BSA posting board.  Poster is identified as verified as National Training Staff.  Link is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/BSA/comments/ho9w9z/the_bsa_plan_announced_on_ceo_town_hall_today/

 

[dkurtenbach]

Looks mostly like administrative tidying up -- much of which should have been done long ago.  Innovative?  Visionary?  Well, they are combining the National Annual Business Meeting and the Top Hands Meeting.  🤪  It is quite a boring document, really.  Not Churchillian.  But, it is pure BSA.  For example:  "Create a membership executive position within councils focused on growth and paid on performance."  How many hundreds of times has that been tried in councils all across the United States over the last forty years of declining membership?  Maybe tens of thousands, if you count District Executives and Field Directors.  

Survival of the Boy Scouts of America is entirely dependent upon membership growth, but the folks from the National level all the way down to councils and even districts simply can't grasp the notion that they are powerless to do anything about membership growth,** despite more than forty years of contrary evidence.  Retaining youth who are already Scouts and attracting youth who are not currently Scouts is entirely dependent upon how well the local moms and dads who are the unit adults execute an active, interesting, challenging Scouting program with a strong outdoor component.  If BSA decided to create an executive position within councils focused on inspiring unit adults, then maybe they would be on to something.

** BSA National initiatives, policies, and program changes have caused significant membership losses over the years, however.

Edited July 10, 2020 by dkurtenbach
To add footnote.

[scoutldr]

So, adding more local professional staff is the answer?  Color me skeptible.

[walk in the woods]

Man, I filled out at least 3 buzzword bingo score cards on that one!

• Nimble and Flexible (uh, look at that process flow on the left!)
• Data-based decision making
• Value-based delivery
• Collaboration and teamwork
• World-class
• Shared accountability
• Areas of Focus
• Facilitate!
• Action Steps!

Biggest red flag to me is this one:

Hire a youth adolescence expert at the national level to guide program development.  I have a sneaking suspicion it won't be Lenore Skenazy!

 

[RememberSchiff]

10 minutes ago, walk in the woods said:

Biggest red flag to me is this one:

 

Hire a youth adolescence expert at the national level to guide program development.  I have a sneaking suspicion it won't be Lenore Skenazy!

for me,  Consistent brand standards.

Whenever I hear babble-speak about brand ,... ugh 

BTW, how old is a "youth adolescence expert" ?

Edited July 10, 2020 by RememberSchiff

[PACAN]

Trying to find the LEAD part in this consultant produced PLAN.

Members of this forum could do better than this but the folk in Texas wouldn't like what we came up with.  

[carebear3895]

"Create a membership category for youth and families with no advancement program"

 

You mean like how was Venturing was supposed to be? High Adventure emphasis with an OPTIONAL advancement program. 

[David CO]

1 hour ago, carebear3895 said:

"Create a membership category for youth and families with no advancement program"

This part doesn't make any sense to me.  Why would we need a separate membership category?  Advancement is voluntary.  If a scout doesn't want to advance, he doesn't have to.  He doesn't need a special membership category.

[mashmaster]

I saw this: https://gyazo.com/4c80dc42dc66453ada16f83e7c2f16d0 which aligns with above.

I am depressed, not surprised but depressed.

 

[Sentinel947]

12 hours ago, David CO said:

This part doesn't make any sense to me.  Why would we need a separate membership category?  Advancement is voluntary.  If a scout doesn't want to advance, he doesn't have to.  He doesn't need a special membership category.

Good question. 

 

13 hours ago, carebear3895 said:

"Create a membership category for youth and families with no advancement program"

 

You mean like how was Venturing was supposed to be? High Adventure emphasis with an OPTIONAL advancement program. 

No. This is the next step of "Family Scouting" implementation. 

[ALongWalk]

On 7/9/2020 at 11:04 PM, dkurtenbach said:

Survival of the Boy Scouts of America is entirely dependent upon membership growth, but the folks from the National level all the way down to councils and even districts simply can't grasp the notion that they are powerless to do anything about membership growth,** despite more than forty years of contrary evidence.  Retaining youth who are already Scouts and attracting youth who are not currently Scouts is entirely dependent upon how well the local moms and dads who are the unit adults execute an active, interesting, challenging Scouting program with a strong outdoor component.  If BSA decided to create an executive position within councils focused on inspiring unit adults, then maybe they would be on to something.

** BSA National initiatives, policies, and program changes have caused significant membership losses over the years, however.

This is so true.  I have long thought that our pros focused on the fundraising at the expense of the program.  Fundraising is important but the Director of Program should be more important than the Director of Developement.  If we really invested in Program pros we could have folks accountable for helping/guiding/training volunteers.  We could also have folks who make sure our camps are used year round. We could make sure our units have affordable access to great outdoor adventures. Just my thoughts.

Edited July 11, 2020 by ALongWalk

[mrjohns2]

On 7/10/2020 at 10:13 AM, carebear3895 said:

 

"Create a membership category for youth and families with no advancement program"

 

You mean like how was Venturing was supposed to be? High Adventure emphasis with an OPTIONAL advancement program. 

 

No, not at all like joe Venturing was supposed to be. 
 

Right now if a district or council wanted to do a 6 week stem program (and be coved by insurance), there is nothing to fit the current model.